Good Friday – Debt Paid in Full!
Thursday night –
Jesus is up all night, Thursday, praying in the garden for His Father to remove the Roman cross from His life. After three intense efforts to avoid the cross, He surrenders His human will to the will of His Father and accepts the kiss of Judas as He is arrested.
As soon as He is arrested and led away by a group of up to 1,000 men, His disciples leave Him to suffer alone for fear that they would be arrested also.
Jesus goes through a total of six trials before His crucifixion, all without sleeping the night before, and with being exhausted from intense praying and sweating blood. All six trials are illegal, and done against the strict teachings of the Law of Moses.
Judea is under Roman rule. This means that the Jews could try Him, but they could not kill Him, without the Romans’ permission. If they could, they would have Him stoned, per the Law, for blasphemy. The Jews have to find Him guilty, not only of breaking their law, but also of being a threat to the Roman government. They are able to convince the Romans to crucify Him for treason. Death is automatic for those found guilty of treason to Rome. Tiberius is the Caesar, and is considered the god on earth.
It is still Thursday night when Jesus is led before Annas.
Friday morning early –
They lead Him to Caiaphas. Then He appears before the Sanhedrin. These all are Jewish trials, and done without following the Law governing these trials.
Then Jesus is led before Pilate. Pilate sends Him to stand before Herod Antipas, who only wants to see some tricks performed by Jesus. He finally is sent back to stand before Pilate for his sixth and final trial. Pilate is under pressure from Rome, and from his wife. (His wife had a dream that Pilate should not harm Christ, so Pilate tries to pass the judgment to Herod). He is not convinced of Jesus’ guilt, but he gives the death sentence for Jesus anyway. This is the only half-fair trial that Jesus endures.
For more details, click here to read about The Arrest and Trial of Jesus.
Jesus, before His accusers, speaks very little, or nothing at all. “And when He is accused by the chief priests and elders, He answers nothing.” (Matthew 27:12) Even when they find false witnesses to testify against Him and even when they twist His words to say something that He had not said at all.
The High Priest says, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, Son of God?” (Matthew 26:63) Jesus replies, “Thou hast said; nevertheless, I say unto you: hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64)
The high priest exclaims: “He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?” (Matthew 26:65) “He is guilty of death!” (Matthew 26:66)
They take Him before Pilate for his endorsement of the death sentence. Pilate tells them to take Him and judge Him according to their own laws. Pilate asks Jesus, “Art thou the King of the Jews?” The Jews condemn Him for declaring that He is equal with God as King of kings, but they don’t tell Pilate what kind of king Jesus is claiming to be. Jesus answers Pilate with a question: “Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell you?” Jesus goes on to say that if His kingdom were of this world, He would have His servants fight. Pilate then asks Him again, “Art thou a king then?” Jesus answers, thou sayest that I am a king.”To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness of the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Pilate asks Him, “What is truth?” (Pilate ends up committing suicide soon after Jesus’ death.)
Pilate sends Him to Herod, and Herod sends Him back to Pilate when Jesus will not perform a miracle for his entertainment. Pilate tells the Jews that he still finds no fault in Jesus and is willing to chastise Him and release Him. Roman whips were made of sinews of oxen with ribbed tips and cut the flesh open, often killing the person or leaving him half-dead.
Crucify Him! –
When the Jews hear this, they accuse Pilate of not being a friend of Caesar; so he gives in to the crowd calling for His crucifixion and releases a prisoner by the name of Barabbas, a murderer.
Jesus is finally turned over to the crowd calling, “Crucify Him or we will tell Rome!”
The Cross of Christ –
Jesus is mocked with a royal robe and a crown of thorns, while they slap His face, spit in His face and pull on His beard.
Judas goes and hangs himself.
Jesus bears His cross to Golgotha, and is nailed to the cross around 9 am.
The Roman Crucifixion was a gruesome form of punishment.
Death by Roman crucifixion was a result of the whole body weight being supported by the stretched arms. When nailed to the cross there was a massive strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders often resulting in a dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints. The rib cage was constrained in a fixed position, which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath. The victim would continually try to draw himself up by his feet to allow for inflation of the lungs enduring terrible pain in his feet and legs. The pain in the feet and legs became unbearable and the victim was forced to trade breathing for pain. The length of time required to die from crucifixion could range from hours to a number of days. Death was by asphyxiation and was reserved for slaves and the worse of criminals.
Jesus says seven things while hanging on the cross:
1 – Father forgive them
2 – Today, you shall be with me in Paradise
3 – Woman behold thy son
4 – My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
5 – I thirst
6 – It is finished
7 – Into thy hands, I commit my spirit
There is darkness from noon till 3 pm
The veil of the temple is torn, rocks rent, and Jesus descends into hell to free souls held captive as He opens their graves and allows them to testify of His resurrection.
Jesus’ side is pierced
Passover is slain in the temple
Jesus is buried by sundown, because the Jewish Sabbath begins at 6 pm (Saturday)
Pilate seals the tomb and sets a guard so no one can steal the body
No wonder the Centurion cried out that this was the Son of God! Chuck Swindoll sums the final seconds of Jesus’ life like this:
“[Jesus] tilted His head back, pulled up one last time to draw breath and cried, “Tetelestai!” It was a Greek expression most everyone present would have understood. It was an accounting term. Archaeologists have found papyrus tax receipts with “Tetelestai” written across them, meaning “paid in full.” With Jesus’ last breath on the cross, He declared the debt of sin cancelled, completely satisfied. Nothing else required. Not good deeds. Not generous donations. Not penance or confession or baptism or…or…or…nothing. The penalty for sin is death, and we were all born hopelessly in debt. He paid our debt in full by giving His life so that we might live forever.”
― Charles R. Swindoll